Van Roper, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, is a clinician educator - associate professor and the clinical medical director of Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Interprofessional Primary Care AHEC TeleECHO at The University of New Mexico College of Nursing. He has been in clinical practice for more than 20 years, primarily in rural, frontier and urban underserved populations, ranging from Georgia, Alaska, Oregon and Arizona, including at the Mexico border. Roper's clinical and research interests include telehealth, health care systems, rural health, clinical decision making, Native American health, homeless health, marginalized populations and medicolegal consulting. His current research includes study of the use of Project ECHO in advanced practice nursing and interprofessional healthcare training. He has a special interest in complex chronic disease management and interprofessional education.

Roper received his Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Arizona in Tucson, his Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia State University in Atlanta and his Associate's Degree of Nursing from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.